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Elton Joel RW2 2'25
With apologies to them both. A rock piano solo without lyrics.
Recording (mp3, 1.9MB)
Elegy RW2 2'25
Many, many parts to weave and balance - needs ensemble skills, even though it's for solo piano.
Recording (mp3, 1.6MB)
Recording (mp3, 1.2MB)
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Snowflakes RW2 2'25Recording (mp3, 0.9MB)
Recording (mp3, 0.8MB)
Recording (mp3, 2.6MB)
Deadwood Students back to magazine homepage
Sports psychologists will talk about the importance of optimism, and we've all noticed a correlation between the glass-half-full students and those 
that give better performances. But the real question is not what a student sees when they look at a 200ml cup with 100 mls of water in it. What's really interesting is their assumption about how we're going to get the remaining 100 mls in there.
Unfortunately, some students not only see it as half empty—they also can't imagine it any other way. That because it's short of the top now, it always will be...
...so what's the point in trying?
It's ok when students have a phase where they feel like this. Part of our role as teachers is to help them visualize the filling process, and have them excited about getting the job done. But if your best motivational efforts are always being deflated by the student announcing that "it's impossible" or "I'll never be able to do that", then their self-fulfilling prophecies are spelling doom for the lessons.
The test is this: When you've just had a lesson, and they've told you "I can't do that" to something entirely doable, and you find yourself finally believing them, it's time to wind things up.
A) This student thinks the glass is mostly empty, leaks and
contains poison (10 points)
B) They occasionally snap out of their self-defeating funk
C) They have more than a few "can't do moments, but it's
mostly a non-issue (2 points)
D) Not at all (0 points)
.